Cheating is hurtful, period. Cheating means there is a secret, a double life of some sort. However if you are asking me, a marriage therapist who has worked with thousands of couples dealing with infidelity, what hurts more – physical or emotional cheating, I have a clear answer. Emotional cheating hurts more; actually significantly more. Betrayal is hurtful enough; however when the female believes that the male has deep feelings for another woman, that hurts even deeper. Most women thrive on the emotional connection with their partner. That is the foundation of their aliveness; not the sexual connection.  The sexual connection flows directly from the emotional connection. I have seen women respond painfully but overall not as painfully when they hear the words -” I had no feelings for that woman; it was pure sex.” Not good but clearly not as devastating for most women. Feel free to agree or disagree and respond with your own comments back to me via email or posting.